HENRY COUNTY, VA – The Henry County Board of Supervisors awarded the 2022 Jack Dalton Community Service Award to Harold William Martin on Tuesday.
Martin, who is the Horsepasture Volunteer Fire Department Chief and Horsepasture Volunteer Rescue Squad President, was nominated for his contributions to the county that have dated back to the 1980s.
The Horsepasture native has served on the Henry County Emergency Services Honor Guard for four years, on the Henry County Fire Review Board for 12 years and he is an active member of the Martinsville-Henry County Fire Association.
Outside of his contribution to the emergency services, Martin assists with the annual Smith River CleanUp, does handy work for widows in the community, and takes food to shelters for the homeless, according to Henry County.
The county said along with his own volunteer service, Martin has instilled a love for service in the next generation through his classroom instruction and recruitment efforts.
The award is named in honor of Jack Dalton, who served on the board of supervisors for more than 24 years and died in 2000.
Officials say the award is the most prestigious honor presented by the supervisors and annually goes to the county resident who best demonstrates the exemplary community service that marked Dalton's years of public service.
In other matters, the board:
Approved an additional appropriation of $1.2 million received from the Appalachian Regional Commission for improvements to Reservoir Road at Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre
Approved an additional appropriation of $8,114 for the Clerk of Court’s office to fund a part time employee to assist with a project in the Clerk’s office
Approved an additional appropriation of $95,000 received from state asset forfeiture funds for the purpose of purchasing two replacement vehicles for the Sheriff’s Office special investigations division
Awarded a contract to Sheehy Ford, of Richmond, in the amount of $118,404 to purchase three police interceptor utility vehicles
Approved an additional appropriation of $50,000 received from the Virginia Tourism Corporation to provide for an updated sign at Philpott Lake & Marina, as well as other tourism related projects to be determined within Henry County
Approved an additional appropriation of $3,000 received from state asset forfeiture funds to cover travel-related expenses of the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office
Approved an additional appropriation to the current year budget in the amount of $549,342 of unexpended school funds from fiscal year (FY) 2022. The school administration has indicated that the funds will be used to cover the cost of capital projects, such as a new rooftop heating and cooling system at Laurel Park Middle School.
Approved an additional appropriation of $50,884 received from the Circuit Court Records Preservation Grant Program to be used for reformatting and indexing wills from 1777-1974 and the preservation of marriage bonds for multiple years between 1832 and 1851
Awarded a contract to Creedle, Jones & Associates for financial auditing services through FY2027, with a two-year extension option. The fee for FY2023 and FY2024 is $64,250 annually, increasing to $66,250 for FY2025 and FY2026. The fee for FY2027 will be $68,250.
Approved a request to rezone two lots in the Horsepasture District from Agricultural District to Mixed Residential District. The applicant wishes to create two additional lots out of the property.
Approved a request to rezone approximately 0.74-acres in the Horsepasture District from Agricultural District to Commercial District. The applicant wishes to market the property for commercial purposes or the potential placement of general advertising signs.
Approved the rezoning of approximately 20-acres in the Blackberry District from Rural Residential District to Agricultural District. The applicant wishes to build a house and outdoor building on the property.